Greetings · Introductions · The Alphabet · Pronunciation · Numbers 0–20
CEFR Level A1By the end of this lesson, you will be able to do all of the following — these are your CEFR A1 targets for today:
Italian uses the Latin alphabet — but only 21 letters in the native alphabet (5 foreign letters appear in borrowed words). The great news: Italian is almost perfectly phonetic. Once you learn the sounds, you can read almost anything!
The 5 "foreign" letters (J, K, W, X, Y) appear in loanwords like jeans, karatè, whisky, extra, yogurt.
Most letters sound like English — but these crucial ones differ. Master these and you'll sound great!
Italian has 5 pure vowel sounds — no diphthongs or glides. Always short and clear.
These change sound depending on the vowel that follows:
In Italian, stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable:
par-LA-re (to speak) · ca-SA (house) · bel-LO (beautiful)
When the stress falls elsewhere, it's marked with an accent mark:
città (city) · caffè (coffee) · però (but) · perché (why/because)
Italian has two "registers": formal (Lei) and informal (tu). Use informal with friends, family, and young people. Use formal with strangers, elders, and in professional settings.
| Italian | Phonetic | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciao — Ciao, come stai? | CHOW | Hi / Bye | Informal (hello AND goodbye) |
| Salve — Salve, buongiorno! | SAL-veh | Hello / Greetings | Neutral — safe in any situation |
| Buongiorno — Buongiorno, signora! | bwon-JOR-no | Good morning / Good day | Formal & informal — until ~2pm |
| Buon pomeriggio | bwon po-meh-REE-joh | Good afternoon | Rarely used in speech; ~2–5pm |
| Buonasera — Buonasera, professore. | bwon-ah-SEH-rah | Good evening | Formal & informal — from ~5pm on |
| Buonanotte | bwon-ah-NOT-teh | Good night | When going to sleep / parting at night |
| Arrivederci — Grazie, arrivederci! | ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee | Goodbye (formal) | Formal — "until we see each other again" |
| Arrivederla | ah-ree-veh-DEHR-lah | Goodbye (very formal) | Very formal — to elders, VIPs |
| A presto | ah PREH-stoh | See you soon | Casual departure |
| A domani | ah doh-MAH-nee | See you tomorrow | Casual |
| A dopo | ah DOH-poh | See you later | Casual |
| Italian | Phonetic | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grazie | GRAH-tsyeh | Thank you | Most common |
| Grazie mille | GRAH-tsyeh MIL-leh | Thank you very much | Literally "a thousand thanks" |
| Prego | PREH-goh | You're welcome / Please / Go ahead | Very versatile word! |
| Per favore | pehr fah-VOH-reh | Please | Informal/neutral |
| Per piacere | pehr pyah-CHEH-reh | Please | Slightly more polite |
| Scusa / Scusi | SKOO-zah / SKOO-zee | Excuse me / Sorry | Informal / Formal |
| Mi dispiace | mee dee-SPYAH-cheh | I'm sorry (sincere) | For apologies, not just "excuse me" |
| Piacere | pyah-CHEH-reh | Nice to meet you | When being introduced |
| Sì / No | see / noh | Yes / No | Remember: not "si" — it has an accent! |
| Italian | Register | English |
|---|---|---|
| Come stai? | 🟢 Informal | How are you? (to a friend) |
| Come sta? | 🟡 Formal | How are you? (to a stranger) |
| Come va? | 🟢 Casual | How's it going? (very common!) |
| Tutto bene? | 🟢 Casual | Everything good? |
| RESPONSES | ||
| Bene, grazie! | ✓ Always fine | Fine / Well, thank you! |
| Molto bene! | ✓ Always fine | Very well! |
| Abbastanza bene. | ✓ Always fine | Pretty well / Fairly good. |
| Così così. | ✓ Always fine | So-so. (lit. "like this, like this") |
| Non c'è male. | ✓ Always fine | Not bad. (lit. "there's no evil") |
| Benissimo! | ✓ Always fine | Wonderful! / Perfectly well! |
| Male. / Non sto bene. | ✓ Honest answer | Badly. / I'm not well. |
| Italian | Phonetic | English | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Come ti chiami? | KOH-meh tee KYA-mee | What's your name? | Informal |
| Come si chiama? | KOH-meh see KYA-mah | What's your name? | Formal |
| Mi chiamo… | mee KYA-moh | My name is… (lit. "I call myself") | Both |
| Sono… | SOH-noh | I am… | Both |
| Il mio nome è… | eel MEE-oh NOH-meh eh | My name is… (more formal) | Formal |
| Piacere di conoscerti! | pyah-CHEH-reh dee ko-NOH-shehr-tee | Nice to meet you! (informal) | Informal |
| Piacere di conoscerla! | pyah-CHEH-reh dee ko-NOH-shehr-lah | Nice to meet you! (formal) | Formal |
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Di dove sei? | Where are you from? (informal) | — Di dove sei, Marco? |
| Di dov'è? | Where are you from? (formal) | — Di dov'è, signora? |
| Sono di… | I'm from… | — Sono di Roma. |
| Vengo da… | I come from… | — Vengo dall'Inghilterra. |
| Sono italiano/a | I'm Italian (m/f) | — Sono italiana. |
| Sono americano/a | I'm American (m/f) | — Sono americano. |
| Abito a… | I live in… | — Abito a Milano. |
| Country | M nationality | F nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Italy / Italia | italiano | italiana |
| USA / Stati Uniti | americano | americana |
| UK / Inghilterra | inglese | inglese |
| France / Francia | francese | francese |
| Germany / Germania | tedesco | tedesca |
| Spain / Spagna | spagnolo | spagnola |
| China / Cina | cinese | cinese |
| Japan / Giappone | giapponese | giapponese |
| Brazil / Brasile | brasiliano | brasiliana |
| Switzerland / Svizzera | svizzero | svizzera |
💡 Note: nationalities ending in -ese or -ista are the same for m and f!
This is the most important verb in Italian — and in any language. Let's master it now!
This is an irregular verb — it doesn't follow normal patterns. Memorize it completely. You'll use it hundreds of times per day.
| Pronoun | Italian | English | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| io (I) | sono | I am | Sono stanco. (I am tired.) |
| tu (you) | sei | you are | Sei italiano? (Are you Italian?) |
| lui/lei (he/she) | è | he/she is | Lei è professore. (She is a teacher.) |
| Lei (formal you) | è | you are | Lei è di Roma? (Are you from Rome?) |
| noi (we) | siamo | we are | Siamo amici. (We are friends.) |
| voi (you all) | siete | you all are | Siete pronti? (Are you all ready?) |
| loro (they) | sono | they are | Sono studenti. (They are students.) |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Sono Marco. | I am Marco. |
| Sei stanco? | Are you tired? |
| È italiana. | She is Italian. |
| Siamo a Roma. | We are in Rome. |
| Sono studenti. | They are students. |
| È bello! | It is beautiful! / He is handsome! |
| Non sono pronto. | I am not ready. (put non before verb to negate) |
Italian numbers are mostly regular and very similar to other Romance languages. Learn these cold — you'll use them every day!
Read these dialogues aloud. Pause after each line and try to understand without looking at the English. Then check!
In Italy, making a good impression — fare una bella figura (literally "making a beautiful figure") — is deeply important. This concept shapes how Italians greet, dress, speak, and behave in public.
Italians are physically demonstrative greetings! When meeting friends or family:
Due baci (two kisses): The most common greeting among friends — right cheek first, then left. Actually it's more of a "cheek-to-cheek air kiss." Don't make it awkward by going for the lips!
Handshake: Standard for formal/professional meetings.
Hug (abbraccio): Between close friends and family.
Regional variation: In some parts of northern Italy, a single kiss is common. In the south, sometimes three!
Buongiorno — Use from waking up until about 12–2pm
Buon pomeriggio — Rarely spoken; mostly on signs or in writing
Buonasera — Start using around 4–5pm and through the evening. Italians often use it earlier than you'd expect!
Buonanotte — Only when actually going to sleep or parting late at night
The tu/Lei distinction is very real and matters a lot in Italy. Using tu with a stranger or elder can be seen as rude or too forward.
Safe rule: Default to formal (Lei) with anyone you've just met who is over ~40 or in a professional role. They will often say "Dai, dammi del tu!" ("Go on, use tu with me!") when they're comfortable — and that's your invitation to relax.
Young people (under ~35) typically use tu immediately, even with strangers.
An Italian bar (café) is a place of social ritual. When you walk in, the barista will likely greet you with "Buongiorno!" and you respond the same. The espresso at the bar is the classic Italian morning ritual, often consumed standing up in under 3 minutes.
Ordering: "Un caffè, per favore." (A coffee, please.) This means an espresso — if you want an American-style coffee, say "un caffè americano."
Which greeting is most appropriate? Write the letter in the box.
A. Buongiorno | B. Buonasera | C. Ciao | D. Buonanotte
1. A — Buongiorno (9am = morning)
2. C — Ciao (friend = informal)
3. B — Buonasera (7pm = evening, boss = formal)
4. D — Buonanotte (going to sleep)
Fill in the correct form of essere:
1. sono — Io sono Marco.
2. sei — Tu sei italiano?
3. è — Lei è professoressa.
4. siamo — Noi siamo amici.
5. sono — Loro sono studenti.
6. siete — Voi siete pronti?
1. Buongiorno!
2. Mi chiamo [nome]. / Sono [nome].
3. Sono di [città]. / Vengo da [città].
4. Come stai?
5. Benissimo, grazie!
6. Non sono italiano/a. (a = if you're female)
7. Arrivederci.
8. Per favore e grazie.
Write the Italian word for each number:
7 → sette
13 → tredici
18 → diciotto
4 → quattro
20 → venti
11 → undici
Say these out loud. Record yourself if possible!
Tap each card to reveal the English meaning!